Hame-tug plate.



PATENTED MAY 31,1904.

A. A. THAGKER. HAME TUG PLATE.

urmourou FILED AUG. s, 1903.

I0 MODEL.

.fiwerziar: 72502? fl. 1724207219?" m: mums wcrzns on. Paar UNITED I STATES Patented May 31, 1904.

PATENT I OFFICE.

ANSON A. THAOKER, OF Sll IITHVILLE, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOSEPH L. RAUCH, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

HAME-TUG PLATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 761,268, dated May 31, 1904.

Application filed August 6, 1903.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANsoN A. THAOKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Smithville, in the county of Clay and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hams-Tug Plates, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in hame-tug plates; and it. consists in the peculiar construction of the rear end of the device and an adjustable keeper secured to said rear end.

The object of the invention is to permit the tug when in use to extend in a straight line through the keeper to its points of attachment to the hame-tug plate and swingletree in order to prevent it from becoming Worn or broken by bending.

Hame-tug plates are usually worn in substantially a horizontal position in a plane above the swingletree, and when provided at their rear ends with the customary rigid keepers the latter prevent the tugs from extending in a straight line to their points of attachment. Consequently the tugs bend where they extend through the keepers and soon wear out and break at these points unless the back-band supporting the rear ends of the hams-tug plates is let out. Frequent adjustment of the backstrap to accommodate swingletrees arranged at difierent heights occupies time and is a source of annoyance, and if said adjustment is-not made the chafing caused by the downward pull of the back-strap will frequently cause soreness of the draft-animals back, in addition to wearing out the tugs, as above described.

By providing the rear end of the hame-tug plates with my improvement the back-band need not be adjusted, as my self adjusting keepers will accommodate themselves to the tugs and permit the latter to extend to their points of attachment in a direct line.

In order that the invention may be fully understood, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 represents a side elevation of the device in an operative position. Fig. 2 is a broken detail perspective view of the rear end of a hame-tug plate provided with my improvements. Fig. 3'is a broken inverted plan View Serial No. 168,402. (No model.)

of the same. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal horizontal section taken on line III III of Fig. 3.

In said drawings, 1 designates a hame-tug plate, which is preferably cast in one piece, and consists of a longitudinal portion 2, having a series of apertures 3, divided by transverse pintles 4, an enlarged forward'end 5, provided with a loop 6 for the reception of one end of a hame-strap 7, an enlarged rear end 8, provided with two oppositely-disposed loops 9 10 for the reception of back and belly bands 11 12, respectively, and a segmental rear end 13, which latter forms part of the invention.

The other member of the invention is a keeper 14, provided with a loop 15 for the passage of tug 16, and aforwardly-extending integral tongue 17 which is pivotally secured by a rivet 18 to the inner side of the enlarged end 8. The lower portion of loop 15 is provided with a concave shoulder 19, that fits snugly against the segmental rear end 13 of the plate and relieves the pivot of a certain amount of wear. The pivot'is also assisted in holding the keeper by a transverse bar 20, underlying tongue 17 and formed integral at its opposite ends with ribs 21 on the inner side of the hams-tug plate. While the transverse bar 20 and segmental end 13 prevent the keeper from exerting a bending strain on the pivot, the tongue where it passes between said portions has suflicient play to permit the free pivotal movement of the keeper, so the latter may accommodate itself to the position of the tug, asshown in Fig. 1. As the keepers are free to swing in contact with either of diverging shoulders 21, extending from ribs 21 to segment 13, it is obvious that the hame-tug plates may be attached to either the right or left hand side of the harness.

The tug is provided at its forward end with a hook 16*, adapted to engage any of pintles 4, and the inner side of the hams-tug plate is provided with a chafing-pad 22, which is secured thereto by rivets 23.

An opening 24 is left in the rear end of the plate to lighten the same and facilitate its withdrawal from the sand in casting.

From the above description it is apparent that I have produced a device which is simple in construction, economical to manufacture, and thoroughly effective for the purpose intended.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a device of the character described, a

hame-tug plate, diverging shoulders formed integral with the rear portion thereof, a

3. A hame-tug plate provided with ribs, a transverse bar formed integral with the rear portion of the ribs, a keeper, and a tongue formed integral. therewith which extends between the inner portion of the plate and the transverse bar and is pivotally secured at its forward end to the plate.

' 4. A hame-tug plate provided with a segmental rear end and a bar secured to its rear portion, a keeper provided with a concave shoulder adapted to fit snugly against the segmental end of the plate, and an integral tongue on the keeper extending forwardly between the segmental end and the bar and pivotally secured to the plate.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ANSON AQ. THAOKER.

Witnesses:

F. G. FISCHER, T. A. I'IICKEY, 

